If your checked bag doesn't arrive, report it at the airport and build a written claim around four things: proof the airline accepted the bag, a prompt baggage report, an honest inventory, and evidence of value or necessary replacement spending.

A Property Irregularity Report (PIR) is the starting record for a missing or damaged bag. It isn't a compensation award, and it doesn't prove what was inside the suitcase. The airline's contract and the law governing your itinerary determine the deadlines, exclusions, and maximum liability.

The three records travelers often confuse

Record Purpose Is it enough to seek compensation?
Baggage report or PIR Tells the airline that a bag is missing, delayed, or damaged and starts tracing No. It mainly proves that you reported the incident
Written baggage claim Requests reimbursement for the bag, contents, or reasonable delay expenses This is the main compensation request
Regulatory complaint Alerts a government agency that an airline may have mishandled a consumer issue No. It does not replace the airline claim

Keep the reference number from each step. Use the same number in every email, form, and appeal.

Evidence to collect before leaving the airport

Go to the airline's baggage service office as soon as you realize the bag is missing. If the desk is closed, use the airline's online reporting process and save a screenshot showing when you submitted it.

Collect:

Check the report before accepting it. A wrong tag number, delivery address, or description can make later correspondence harder. If the bag is damaged, keep the suitcase and its contents until the airline tells you what it needs for inspection.

Build an itemized inventory

An inventory is more persuasive than a single figure such as “clothing and electronics: $2,000.” List each item separately and explain how you calculated its value.

Item Details to record Useful proof
Clothing or shoes Brand, type, approximate purchase date, condition Receipt, order email, bank statement, travel photo
Electronics Make, model, serial number, and condition Receipt, warranty, product registration, photo
Toiletries or medication Item and amount purchased after the delay Dated replacement receipt
Luggage itself Brand, model, age, and condition Purchase record or photo
Other property A factual description and estimated current value Receipt, statement, photo, or ownership record

Be candid about age and condition. A used laptop, coat, or suitcase may not be valued like a new one, and an airline can apply its liability cap and exclusions. Don't inflate an estimate simply because you no longer have a receipt.

If you don't have original receipts, try:

These alternatives may establish ownership or payment without proving every detail. The more expensive the item, the more supporting evidence you should provide.

Separate delayed-bag expenses from lost contents

Keep two sections in your claim:

  1. Items that were in the missing bag, such as clothing, toiletries, and luggage.
  2. Reasonable purchases made because the bag was delayed, such as necessary clothing or toiletries.

Save itemized receipts and proof of payment for every replacement purchase. Avoid luxury upgrades or purchases unrelated to the delay. If the airline later delivers the bag, update the claim rather than continuing to describe it as permanently lost.

A photo of an empty carousel may help establish that the bag didn't arrive, but it won't prove the value of the contents. Your PIR, baggage tag, tracking history, inventory, and receipts are usually more useful.

Is a police report required?

Usually, no. A police report isn't a standard requirement for every lost-baggage claim.

It may be useful or requested when:

A police report documents an alleged event. It doesn't, by itself, prove that a particular item was in the bag or establish its value. It also doesn't override an airline's exclusion for property that should not have been checked.

Which deadline applies?

The answer depends on whether the flight was domestic or international and whether the bag was delayed, damaged, or lost.

Situation Deadline or limit to watch
U.S. domestic flight Report the problem as soon as possible and follow the airline's contract and claim instructions
International carriage covered by the Montreal Convention Report damage in writing within 7 days of receiving the bag; report delay within 21 days after the bag is made available
International bag not delivered Under the Montreal Convention, baggage not delivered within 21 days can generally be treated as lost for claim purposes
Lawsuit under the Montreal Convention The usual time limit to bring an action is two years, subject to the applicable law and procedure

Don't wait 21 days before making the first report. That period helps determine when a delayed international bag may be treated as lost; it isn't permission to postpone the PIR or the airline's initial claim.

For most U.S. domestic checked-baggage claims, the Department of Transportation permits liability of up to $4,700 per passenger, subject to the facts, exclusions, and the airline's applicable rules. The cap is not a guaranteed payment. You still need to prove an actual loss.

For international carriage governed by the Montreal Convention, the baggage liability limit is 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per passenger. The dollar value of an SDR changes, so an old online estimate may be inaccurate. The limit also isn't an automatic payout; the airline generally evaluates the documented loss within that ceiling.

EU261 is mainly associated with flight delays, cancellations, and denied boarding. It isn't a simple flat-rate schedule for the contents of a lost suitcase. For a trip involving Europe or the United Kingdom, identify the baggage rule and the country-specific complaint route separately instead of applying an EU261 flight-disruption amount to a baggage claim.

Airline procedures can be shorter or more specific than a general explanation of the law. For example, Air France's U.S. missing-baggage instructions tell passengers to declare missing baggage within seven days and explain how an inventory may be used if the bag isn't found within 21 days. That is Air France's procedure, not a universal deadline for every carrier.

Submit a strong written claim

Use the airline's baggage claim portal when possible, but keep a copy of everything you submit. Your claim should include:

A short, factual explanation is more useful than a long account of the frustration. For example:

I reported one missing checked bag under PIR reference ABC123 after flight 456 on [date]. The attached inventory lists the contents and supporting proof. The bag has not been delivered, and I incurred the attached necessary replacement expenses. Please confirm receipt of this compensation claim and identify any additional document required under your baggage procedure.

Send the claim before the airline's stated deadline. A PIR may not count as the formal written claim, so look for a separate compensation form or written-claim instruction.

Why airlines deny or reduce baggage claims

A denial doesn't always mean you have no claim. Ask for the decision in writing and check whether the problem is missing evidence, an exclusion, a deadline, or a calculation error.

Common issues include:

If the airline says a particular item is excluded, ask it to identify the relevant section of its contract of carriage or baggage policy. A police report or a photograph won't necessarily make an excluded item payable.

How to appeal a denial

Start with the airline. Reply through its claim portal or customer-relations channel and ask for:

  1. The specific reason for the denial
  2. The rule, contract section, or missing document involved
  3. A review of each disputed item rather than a rejection of the entire claim
  4. Confirmation that the appeal has been logged under the original claim number

Attach only the evidence that addresses the stated problem. If the airline says value is unproven, add purchase records or a clearer valuation. If it says the report was late, provide the PIR timestamp and explain when you first notified the carrier.

U.S. travelers can file a complaint with the Department of Transportation's Aviation Consumer Protection office after pursuing the airline. The DOT baggage guidance covers the federal framework, and the DOT consumer complaint form is the relevant escalation route. The FAA's airline service complaint guidance also directs consumers to DOT.

A DOT complaint can help identify a possible regulatory violation and request a response from the airline. It isn't a private court and doesn't guarantee reimbursement for the value you claim.

Insurance and credit-card coverage

Travel insurance and card benefits are separate contracts from your airline claim. They may cover delayed essentials, lost property, or baggage fees under different conditions, limits, deductibles, and notice periods.

Notify the insurer or benefits administrator promptly and ask what it requires. Common documents include:

Don't assume you can collect the full amount from both the airline and an insurer. Tell each provider about payments or pending claims so the loss isn't reimbursed twice.

A final pre-submission checklist

Before sending the claim, confirm that:

Start with the airline's baggage office and written claim. If the response is incomplete or unsupported, appeal with targeted evidence, then use DOT's complaint route for a U.S. airline-service issue.